"Failed to create goal" error on dashboard when creating weekly commit goals [GSSoC-26]

[durgasravan21-prog]

An error occurs during the GSSoC contribution window when trying to set up a new weekly commit goal on the dashboard. After entering the goal parameters and clicking the "Add goal" button, the dashboard surfaces a red error message: *"Failed to create goal. Please try again."* The goal fails to persist or update the UI.

To Reproduce

1. Navigate to the DevTrack Dashboard page (/dashboard).
2. Scroll down to the Goals component.
3. Input the goal details (e.g., Title: m, Target: 05, Unit: Commits, Recurrence: Weekly).
4. Click on the [Add goal] button.
5. Notice the error message "Failed to create goal. Please try again." appearing beneath the submission button.

Expected Behavior

The commit goal should be successfully instantiated, the form should clear, and an automated tracking item linked to the contributor's GitHub activity should appear.

Environment & Context

• Program: GirlScript Summer of Code (GSSoC 2026)
• URL: https://devtrack-delta.vercel.app/dashboard
• Device/Browser: Desktop / Chrome Browser
• Timestamp: May 2026

Additional Context

This blocks participants from setting up trackable metrics directly on their dashboards during active evaluation periods. Likely tied to a backend validation layer mismatch or an unhandled exception on the POST request to the goals endpoint.

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[durgasravan21-prog]

Hi @Priyanshu-byte-coder,

I would love to work on this issue as part of GSSoC '26. Could you please assign it to me?

I'll start looking into the dashboard's goal creation form components and check the POST request payload/validation to see why the API endpoint is throwing the error.

[basantnema31]

Hi @durgasravan21-prog! I'd love to take this on for GSSoC '26.

My proposed approach:

1. Inspect the POST request payload on the goals endpoint for validation errors.
2. Fix backend validation rules or frontend form submission logic to match expected payload.
3. Add a test case to ensure weekly commit goals can be created successfully without UI errors.

Could you please assign this to me? I can deliver this cleanly and quickly.

[durgasravan21-prog]

Hi @Priyanshu-byte-coder,

Thank you for assigning this issue to me! I'm on it.

I will dig into the dashboard form component and backend validation rules right away. I'll make sure to have a clean fix ready and submit the PR within the next 2 days. 👍